Dry Creek Valley might be the ‘sweet spot’ for growing Zinfandel grapes but Humboldt County is a cool spot for making the wine. Sonoma County’s popular wine growing region is famous for those gnarly, 100-year-old vines that produce the inky, chewy zinfandels that are almost a meal within themselves, and the finicky Zinfandel requires just…
If your passion is Pinot Noir, head to Shell Beach (just south of San Luis Obispo) on March 7 and 8 for the 8th annual World of Pinot Noir, two days devoted to tasting, talking about and learning more about that fine wine. The festival was created by a small group of vintners from California’s…
Two girlfriend getaways: one in California, the other Canada. Although thousands of miles apart, they both promise a few days of uninterrupted girl time. Montage Laguna Beach is set on 30 acres of oceanfront overlooking the Pacific. Located in the vibrant arts community of Laguna Beach, the 250-room Craftsman-style resort features beach front accommodations; a…
Forget the long lines and dinged up, forced-to-fit equipment at traditional ski rental shops. Black Tie Ski Rental Delivery brings the good stuff right to you. Created five years ago, the valet ski and snowboard delivery service now has 10 locations serving 21 resort areas in the western US and Canada. The personalized service, top-of-the-line…
Hotel Cheval (Cheval is French for horse) in Paso Robles, California is offering a Ho Ho Ho Holiday Weekend Package. The two-night package is $875 per couple and is available Fridays-Saturdays now through December 31, 2007.
It’s the classic tug-of-war. The locals want to keep it small, like it’s been for years. The newcomers, coming from the city, have found wide open spaces and affordable real estate prices. A place they can escape to and build their dream home on a lake. Yvonne Barnette, a resident of Lake County for the…
Meadowood Napa Valley’s The Restaurant is one of Esquire magazine’s 2007 Best New Restaurants. The 23rd annual awards selected by Esquire’s Food & Travel Editor John Mariani are featured in the November edition of the magazine, on newsstands now.
San Francisco has a new wine list—one that’s dedicated to the southern hemisphere. South Food and Wine Bar at 330 Townsend Street highlights food and wine from down under. And with perfect pairing, the chef will titillate your taste buds. Australian celebrity chef Luke Mangan has never been one to sit still. With two chic…
Vail Resorts wants to keep its guests in tip-top shape for a day on the slopes. To do so, the company will now serve natural, hormone-free meats and organic dairy products in its on-mountain restaurants at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone resorts in Colorado, Heavenly in California and restaurants in Wyoming’s Grand Teton National…
I thought we’d have fun exploring gold country, but I never expected to hit gold in the dining category. Yet, after dining at Taste Restaurant, located in the one-horse town of Plymouth (which we learned about from our affable host at the Days Inn) I stand corrected! We were completely blown away by the hip…
Nothing from the wine industry goes to waste in Brad Evans’ world. He makes lazy susans from cabernet-stained wine barrel bottoms; serving trays from the barrel tops; votive candle holders and coat racks from the curved barrel slats; trays, tables, storage bins, planters, stools and even dog dish holders from the wooden crates in which…